THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
THE LAMA KING'S SECRETARY, WHO ACCOMPANIED THE AUTHOR TO SILI
He brought as a parting gift from the king a bag of mandarins and walnuts, and, despite
his poverty, presented the leader of the expedition with two brass ladles as a personal token
of esteem (see text, page 491).
would go out to pray among the hills, but
I was to see him late that evening to say
farewell.
THE LAMAS MAKE A CEREMONIAL
PROCESSION
I had just arrived at my house at sun
set when, from the north gate of the Muli
wall, stalked forth the religious proces
sion-some 40 lamas preceded by three
boys in armor, wearing helmets and car
rying long spears. The first group was
followed by four minor lamas with two
12-foot telescopic metal trumpets. The
two priests in front held up the instru
ments to the level of the mouths of the
two other lamas, whose cheeks worked
like bellows and produced bass notes
meant to frighten lurking devils.
Other lamas followed with cymbals,
while a fourth section carried trays with
red images made of tsamba (barley flour)
and yak butter, pitchers, and brass ves-
sels. The remaining lamas carried large
circular drums, which they struck with
curved sticks. Over their red garments
they wore yellow cloaks, and on their
heads yellow - crested woolen helmets
shaped like those of the ancient Greeks.
Just below the rampart of my house a
mound of dry oak brush had been erected,
and thither marched the lama throng. The
last person in line was the Ghiku, a sort
of abbot of the monastery. He was more
elaborately dressed and carried, or rather
dragged, in his hand a long, quadrangular
metal staff.
The brushwood pile was now lighted
and the images representing devils were
thrown into the fire, amid terrific noise
of exploding bombs (see page 486).
The ceremony over, and the devils
driven into the flames, the procession
made its way back to the monastery and
night fell over Muli.
Our last day in Muli was a glorious
490